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I've been asked to feed the sacrificial victims into the Apocalypse Contraption.
Gee, I sure wish I knew how that machine-doohickey worked! That thing's scary!
Someone could get hurt!
If only there were some way I could learn to use it, maybe by spending skill-points or something, but, hey, I guess not...
<click>
<whirrr>
<rumble>
"AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!! GET IT OFF! GET! IT! OFF!"
"OH GOD! THE PAIN! THE PAIN!"
"NO! NOT THE FACE!"
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Hmmm; an albino assassin, sent by the Vatican, has infiltrated the offices of my associate, and killed him in a bizarre ritual slaying, to cover up the existence of a secret bloodline descended from Our Lord and Saviour, during which he (rather stupidly, in my opinion) scrawled my name in his own blood on the floor, thus implicating me in the eyes of the police, and ensuring that, if I cannot clear my name, by solving the mystery of this code-breaking cypher device, that I shall be strung up by the neck until I am dead.
Oh, if only there were some way I could operate this device...
im a fan that trapfinding gives you a perception check as an immediate action once within 10ft of a trap.
Why not just allow them to detect hunter's traps as part of a Survival skill check? After all those are the kinds of things that would be used in the woods and certainly fall into the scope of the Survival skill (wouldn't knowing how to spot that pit trap designed to ensnare large (and very dangerous) prey be a critically important factor in staying alive in the wilderness?).
That way you don't "step on the toes" of the Rogue class, and you allow the DM to make a judgement call on whether or not it applies to the trap (and allows for Rangers who are not very well versed in the devious wasy of the "human (and other races) hunting" trap makers.
there are other variants around. What would be a fair trade for the Ranger to get trapfinding? the combat styles?
there are other variants around. What would be a fair trade for the Ranger to get trapfinding? the combat styles?
Perhaps their casting ability ? That thing that many people (like myself) find extremely weak without an additional fix (like an increased caster level)?
I think, however, that the best thing would be grant any character the ability to Find Traps (like the new use of the Survival skill for tracking), and give the Rogue a huge boost and/or the ability to check for Traps 'unconsciously' (like Elves do with secret doors).
the casting is a better idea
OK, so for one feat (Leadership), you get a small army and a rogue cohort with Trapfinding and Skill Focus, and he can find traps for you... if that's the route you wanted to go. So making Trapfinding cost more than one (1) feat for the ranger is out. Give up ALL your combat style feats for that one ability? No way. Give up spellcasting? Well, that's attractive for the people who used Wis as a dump stat (trusting the pet for Perception and relying on the level bonus for tracking, I guess), but for everyone else, that's a mechanically HORRIBLE choice. People think ranger spellcasting is worthless? Give 'em some useful spells, then. But please don't take it away just to make them lame replacement rogues.
I am not a big proponent of spell casting for rangers. I would trash it for additional abilities
Rangers with spells dont make sense (heck i dont think pallys should get spells either)
I would like to see the ranger with more skills, or a system like rogue talents, but I dont think you should borrow something that is rogue speific just because you dont want to rely on the rogue, dont have a rogue, or dont want a rogue.
Thats like wanting a spork, so you can not bother having a fork and a spoon.
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I only read the first page, so I'm only just jumping in, but a standing rule we have always had since 3.0, is anywone with ranks in Disable Device, Open lock, or the like, can attempt those things just like a Rogue. There is no Trapfinding class feature. No Feat. Just anyone that has the training can try it.
Being that it "was" practically only a class skill for classes that got Trapfinding anyway, it meant that only those that wanted to spend a lot of cross class ranks on it could really do it effectively anyway, so it was almost exactly the same, just possible for anyone if they really wanted to. I can see a slight problem with the PathFinder skill rules though, so maybe if it is not a class skill, you take a -3?
How about a different class talent for Rangers, Barbarians, and Druids?
ie Trapfinding (Mechanical)
Same as Trapfinding, except only effects mechanical traps
Mechanical covers pits, snares, etc by game definition
Also make thier Trap Sense only for Mechanical traps.